Trevor Boffin (died 2009)  

Heavily involved in football for more than 50 years, Trevor died suddenly on Sunday, December 27.

He was vice-chairman, chairman and president during nearly four decades with the Swindon and District League.

Jerry Welch believed football in Wiltshire would not be the same without Boffin,  “He will be well-missed. The person that takes his place as president has a lot to follow.”

Boffin was a referee in Wiltshire for in excess of 30 years, before he joined the Swindon and District League in 1971. He held the position of vice-chairman, and then he became vice-chairman in 1993. Boffin remained in that role until 2004, when he was promoted again to president, and he kept that position right up until his death.

For his contribution to local football, Boffin was given the Football Association award for 50 years’ service, an accolade of which he was very proud.

League chairman Welch said he had always been highly impressed by Boffin’s commitment to the beautiful game at local level. “He was a football man, everything was about football. His whole life was tied up in it,” said Welch. “He is one of the old school – what the old school is talking about is a certain type of person as far as football is concerned.

“It’s people that are involved at grass roots level and enjoy themselves.

“His greatest saying was that the Swindon and District League was there to provide football for the clubs. “In his many roles, he was very interested in making sure the clubs got that.”

Welch also revealed that he liked Boffin very much as a man, in addition to the respect he had for him as a football person.

“He was a very gentle bloke and as lovely as anything. He enjoyed whatever he did,” said Welch. “We used to always enjoy what he did at league meetings, he would always make it very interesting.”